Ambition 2025 in the wider context

When launched in 2007, our Five-Fold Environmental Ambition was truly ground
breaking and helped put FDF and its members at the forefront
of the sustainability debate. FDF members have been collectively delivering
major
improvements in resource efficiency in manufacturing operations for a number of
years and much has been achieved.

We have reduced CO2 emissions by over a third, reporting members have cut water
use by 30% and we are on track to send zero food and packaging waste to
landfill
by the end of 2015. This is proof that a collective, structured approach can
deliver impressive results. Now nearly a decade on, the ambition has been
refreshed
to take into account the ever changing sustainability agenda and the complexity
of issues that are increasingly demanding a whole-chain approach.

The wider context

The global food system is set to face unprecedented pressures over the coming
decades. Competition for land, water and energy will intensify, with the use of
critical inputs such as water and land already reaching their limits. Perhaps
most
concerning of all, the effects of climate change will become increasingly
apparent and will bring us towards, and perhaps over, critical thresholds in
coming
decades. But the pressures on food security in the future are not only limited
by
production challenges but also demand, with the global population predicted to
reach 9.3 billion by 2050 and with a projected increase in food demand of
50-70%.

Against this backdrop of rising demand, it is estimated that over one third of
all food produced globally for human consumption goes to waste. On a national
level, the UK currently enjoys a relatively high level of food security. But as
global pressures on food supplies increase, the challenge of ensuring all UK
citizens have access to nutritious, affordable and high-quality food will
become more
acute in the future unless action is taken.

These challenges are all taking place against a wider backdrop of ever changing
expectations. The launch and adoption of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) and the Paris Agreement at the UN Climate Conference (COP21) towards the
end of 2015, are driving an unprecedented movement of private sector action.
Food plays an important role within this agenda - especially Goal 12, which
aims to
ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns through a systemic
approach and cooperation amongst actors along the supply chain. But to achieve
Goal 12
will require transition from a linear to a more circular economy, where the
value of products and materials is maintained for as long as possible.

Delivering a sustainable global food system against a backdrop of food security
will require concerted and coordinated action from producers, processors,
retailers, consumers, governments and wider civil society. With food lying at
the
juncture of some of the world's most pressing environmental and societal
challenges
and as the UK's largest manufacturing sector, we are very conscious of the
responsibilities that come with our scale and reach.

FDF vision and wider work

The Food and Drink Federation represents the UK's largest manufacturing sector,
accounting for 16% of the total sector by turnover and employing around 400,000
people in the UK across over 6,000 businesses. We are an incredibly diverse
sector, speaking on behalf of both global brands and thriving small businesses.
As
well as playing a vital role in underpinning the UK economy, manufacturers have
a
key strategic role to play in ensuring the nation's future food security
against
the combined effects of climate change, higher global demand and increasing
pressure on finite resources.

FDF has developed an overarching vision for an innovative, resilient,
resource-efficient and safe food and drink manufacturing supply chain. To
achieve this,
FDF is focused on delivering results in the areas that will have the biggest
impact on our member's businesses, namely competitiveness, food safety and
science,
health and wellbeing and environmental sustainability.

There are real business and cost benefits for FDF members who fully engage in
the wider sustainability agenda. Many companies now recognise that a
sustainable
supply chain is no longer just an optional nice-to-have, but a business
imperative. Consequently, many member companies are already fully committed in
this area,
recognising that successful businesses will be those that acknowledge their
profitability depends on the sustainable use of natural resources.

But with sustainability covering such a holistic agenda, we recognise we cannot
drive transformational change across the whole system on our own. However in
collaboration with others, we can act to help drive these changes. Our new
Ambition
focuses predominantly on environmental sustainability whilst at the same time
recognising and joining up with FDF's wider work covering other components of
sustainability, namely economic and social issues.

Sustainability is, in many respects all-encompassing and has an ever changing
agenda. As an example, one important and developing theme is sustainable diets
which, in the last decade, has become of increasing interest to businesses,
policymakers, NGOs and wider civil society. Though FDF members are committed to
continuing to respond positively to sustainability and public health challenges
and to
playing their role in helping consumers achieve balanced diets, this is not
currently directly addressed within our Ambition. Nevertheless as sustainable
diets
ultimately contribute to food security and a resilient environment, this is
something we are committed to exploring, with others, building our
understanding and
activity in this area as we move forward.

Ambition 2025

FDF's 'Ambition 2025 – shaping sustainable value chains' is the next step on our
journey to help deliver a more sustainable food system. It covers the key areas
where we believe we can, collectively as a sector, make the biggest positive
impact and where we can enable change and provide solutions that help transform
entire supply chains.

A competitive and sustainable UK food and drink manufacturing sector has the
potential to make a real contribution to future food security and sustainable
growth by producing more, from less and with less environmental impact. The
proposal
is fundamentally composed of two elements; Resource Efficiency, which is an
evolution of the original Five-Fold Environmental Ambition and Shaping Future
Value
Chains, a new pillar of the ambition which acknowledges sustainable food
systems
require a much broader approach.

Resource Efficiency: We commit to working with our suppliers and partners in our own operations and
across the food supply chain to further improve resource efficiencies.

This builds on our highly successful Five-Fold Environmental Ambition, which
focused on our members' own operations and supply chains. The format has been
maintained as it served us well in the past and still resonates with
stakeholders and
members and, importantly, targets those areas where we can continue to deliver
significant progress.

Our new ambition includes a stretching target for reducing CO2 emissions as well
as both quantitative and qualitative deliverables around water use, reduction
of
food waste, use of more sustainable packaging and the reduction of harmful
environmental impacts from transport. As well as delivering results across
members'
own operations, we look to expand our remit further along the whole value
chain,
with deliverables to improve resource efficiencies along every stage in keeping
with the need to move to a more circular economy, especially with our
commitments on food waste and packaging.

In delivering our Resource Efficiency Ambition, FDF and its members will also
make a contribution to WRAP's Courtauld 2025 targets across CO2 Emissions, Food
Waste and in time, water. An ambitious voluntary agreement, Courtauld 2025
brings
together organisations across the food system – from producer to consumer – to
make food and drink production more sustainable. Acting as an enabler and route
to support the delivery of FDF's vision and ambition, the involvement will be
separate from, and independent of, individual member engagement with the
commitment.

Shaping Future Value Chains: Through collaboration and engagement with members and external stakeholders, we
will work to build resilient and sustainable value chains into the future.

While recognising resource efficiency is a key aspect of sustainable food
systems, our new commitment on shaping future value chains also acknowledges
this
complex concept necessitates a much broader remit which also covers economic
and
social dimensions. As the supply chain is where social, environmental and
business
risks converge for food and drink companies, we believe FDF can play a positive
role in shaping future thinking, with a focus on both sustainable supply chains
and natural capital. Compared to Resource Efficiency, this is a relatively new
area of focus for FDF, but we believe we can play a positive role in building
resilient and sustainable value chains into the future.

Due to the complexity of the food chain and food production, as well as the
social and economic issues, addressing global risks goes beyond the capacity
of
individual businesses and as such, it is essential that all interested parties
are
involved collaboratively in delivering holistic solutions. If we, as a sector,
are able to anticipate future pressures and factor these into our future
planning, the industry will be better equipped to turn risks into opportunities
and put
actions in place to build resilience ahead of what will likely be a very
uncertain future. To read more about FDF's 'shaping future value chain' work,
please
refer to our Ambition 2025 brochure.

To conclude, as food and drink manufacturers, we are committed to playing our
part in delivering a sustainable global food system which ensures food security
for future generations. Building upon the successes of the Five-Fold
Environmental
Ambition and working collaboratively as a sector, our Ambition 2025 covers the
key areas where we believe we can enable change and solutions that will help
transform entire supply chains.